Flexible brace



G. W. SMITH.

FLEXIBLE BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9,1918. 1317,3300 Patented. Sept. 30,1919.

. V F F 1 2 I \I 2 V w .23 JJ' \1 2 V T"T t T5 Wj f 10 5 5 c wuemtoz a/wya GEORGE W. SMITH, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

FLEXIBLE BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

Application filed August 9, 1918. Serial No. 249,126.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible Braces, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a brace for all sorts of vehicle apparatus whereby an appropriate connection may be made between the body and axles of a vehicle so that the vehicle springs may be relieved from lateral strains or from strains tending to distort them, such as is the case when the axles are subject to sudden and acute shocks tending to move the axles laterally in the direction in the length of the vehicle body or frame.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide means for more uniform distributing upon the axles the load carriedL by the vehicle body.

Other and further purposes of the invention appear hereinafter as the invention is set forth in detail.

As shown and described a specific embodiment has been adhered to but to this embodiment the invention is not to be restricted. The right is reserved to make such changes or alterations as the actual reduction to practice may suggest, in so far as such changes or alterations are compatible with the spirit oi the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a vehicle frame and its attendant axle, the improved brace being shown applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the brace elements.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the other of the brace elements.

As illustrated, the invention is shoWn applied to a vehicular apparatus having the frame 1 and the axle 2. Pivotally mounted on top of the axle adjacent the wheel 3 there is a rocker arm 4, while attached to the corner of frame 1 there is a bracket 5 at an intermediate point in the length of the frame but on the side there is attached a bracket 6. Brace rods 7 and 8 connect the brackets 6 and 5 with the rocker arm 4, ball and socket (or link) joints 9 serving as means of connection between the brace rods and the brackets and similar ball and socket (or link) joints 10 serving as means of con nection between the brace rods and the rocker arm 4.

The elements just described constitute one of the flexible bracing elements and in a great number of instances this element will be all that is required. The vehicle on which the invention is presumed to be attached is of the character designed for heavy service. Therefore, the second brace element is used in combination with the first. This second brace element comprises a rocker arm 11 pivotally mounted at its longitudinal center on top of the axle 2 between the rocker arm 4 and the side longitudinal rail of the frame 1. Directly above this rocker arm 11, there is attached to the longitudinal rail of the frame a bracket 12 formed with two downwardly directed diverging arms 14. Brace rods 15 connect these arms 14 with the rocker arm 11 and for these means of connection ball and socket (or link) joints 16 are employed.

On certain kinds of vehicles it may be preferable to use the brace element comprising the bracket 12 and its attendant parts, just as brace element comprising the rocker arm 4 and its attendant parts are used on certain other kinds of vehicles both serving a similar purpose, but where additional bracing is desired the two may be used in conjunction, the dilference in con struction in the two providing for their application in common to a vehicle on which it is desired to use them.

It is obvious that the construction of the bracing element provides for the oscillation of the frame of a vehicle on its axle but securely braces the latter against the frame when subject to shocks tending to move them laterally in the direction of the length of the frame. For example let it be supposed that the axle 2 is subject to a sudden shock tending to move it laterally toward the bracket 6. This means that a strain will be imposed u on the brace rod 8 and that end of the rec er arm 4 with which the brace rod 8 is connected will be subject to a force tending to move it toward the bracket 5, thus imposing a crushing strain on the brace rod 8, since the pivotal point of the rocker arm 4 will move in the direction in which the axle moves which is in the direction of the bracket 6. But the force tending to move that end of the rocker arm 4 with which the brace rod 8 is connected in the direction of the bracket 5 must perforce tend to move the opposite end of the rocker arm 7 axle in the opposite direction is,- of course,

taken care of in same Way.

VVhlle differently constructed, of course the brace element comprising the bracket 12 and its attendant parts operates in essentially the same Way to take care of lateral strains orshocks imposed upon the axle.

Just as the improved brace serves as a means for securing the axle against sudden shocks, so does it serve to uniformly distribute to the axle the load carried by the frame. For example if a massive load is carried by the frame in the vicinity of the bracket 5, this strain is imparted to the frame in the vicinity of the bracket 6 through the medium of the bracing rods 7 and 8 and the rocker arm 4-, for as long as the framedoes not vibrate on the springs,

the force creating the excessive strain at the bracket 5 is transferred to that part of the frame at Which the bracket 6 is located.

The invention having been described, What is claimed as new and useful is:

In a brace for the purpose specified, the combination With the frame and axle of a vehicle, of a. rockerarm pivotally mounted on the axle at a point intermediate in the length of the arm, the said rocker arm being transversely disposed with reference to the axle, a bracket attached to the vehicle frame, the said bracket being formed-With down- Wardly directed diverging arms disposed one substantially directly above each end of the rocker arm, andvapair of brace rods having universal connections both 'With the arms of the bracket and With'the ends ofthe rocker arm, the said rods being diagonally disposed and having their one end connected With the bracket arm diagonally opposite that end of the rocker arm with Which their other end connects.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. SMITH."

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

